Law professor disputes "hellhole" ranking
February 24, 2009
A Southern Methodist University law professor says it’s doubtful that West Virginia’s judicial climate is as bad as some groups claim.Elizabeth Thornburg said reports from groups such as the American Tort Reform Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform that routinely rank West Virginia as a “judicial hellhole” has more to do with pushing the groups’ agendas than the actual state of West Virginia’s legal system.Thornburg also pointed to the Chamber’s starting publications — such as The West Virginia Record — which she said are meant to push that agenda, which many have characterized as working to slant state courts to favor business in personal injury lawsuits.
West Virginia Record | Law professor disputes “hellhole” ranking